News

Kanchana refutes claims on substandard fuel (Video)

Published

2 years ago

November 7, 2023

editor

Power and Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekara refuted claims that substandard fuel is being released to the market.

Speaking in Parliament today (Nov. 07), he said that there has been no import or distribution of substandard fuel in the country.

Noting that the news report published in this regard on the ‘Aruna’ newspaper is incorrect, the minister said that the LIOC had imported a stock of 92 Octane Petrol and Auto Diesel last night.

“After quality checks, the 92 Octane Petrol has been unloaded while the Auto Diesel stock remained unloaded and quality checks have commenced over a doubt,” he said.

“According to usual procedure, if quality checks done by the Ceylon Petroleum Storage Terminals Limited (CPSTL) deems fuel stocks as substandard, they are not unloaded but are returned. They are only loaded if they pass the quality checks,” he added.

(Video : Department of Government Information)

News

COVID subvariants spreading in Asia detected in Sri Lanka

Published

9 hours ago

May 31, 2025

editor

The Medical Research Institute of Sri Lanka has confirmed that the COVID-19 variant currently spreading in the Asian region has also been identified in the country.

Dr. Jude Jayamaha, a specialist in viral diseases at the Medical Research Institute, stated that patients infected with the Omicron subvariants LF.7 and XFG are being reported locally.

Dr. Jayamaha explained that this finding was confirmed through research conducted on biological samples collected from several hospitals across the island.

However, he emphasized that there is no need for undue fear regarding these COVID-19 variants.

Health authorities have also stressed the importance of vulnerable groups—such as pregnant mothers, the elderly, and those with chronic illnesses—following health guidelines, including wearing face masks and avoiding crowded places.

Dr. Jayamaha reiterated that new COVID-19 variants emerge periodically, and health authorities are continuously monitoring the situation, so the public should remain calm.

(newswire.lk)

(This story, originally published by newswire.lk has not been edited by SLM staff)

News

Anudi misses out from Miss World Quarter-Finals

Published

9 hours ago

May 31, 2025

editor

The Miss World organization has announced its quarter-finalists, selecting 40 contestants from across Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Americas.

Sri Lanka’s Anudi Gunasekara, was not selected in the top 40, despite being recognized for her impressive performances in the Multimedia and Head-to-Head challenges.

The top 40 consisted of 10 contestants each from Asia & Oceania, Europe, Africa and the Americas.